Playing in the biggest game of their careers to date, Mathew Sexton and T.J. Baker delivered in a big way for the Clinton High School football team.

Sexton accounted for five touchdowns, four of them coming off throws from Baker, as the Redskins captured the Division 6 regional championship Saturday afternoon with a 47-28 victory over the Constantine Falcons before a packed house at Wegner Field.

Clinton (12-0) set the school record for wins in a season and clinched its first regional title since 1990. The Redskins will face Shelby in the Division 6 state semifinals next Saturday at a site yet to be determined. Constantine (7-5), which has reached the state championship game the previous two seasons, saw its season come to an end.

"This has been a fantastic year for us, and to play three rounds of the playoffs in front of our home crowd, it doesn't get much better," Clinton coach Scott McNitt said. "I'm proud of the kids and our coaching staff, and we have the opportunity to play in the state semis for the first time since 1990."

All five of Sexton's touchdowns came in a wild first half that saw the teams combine for 55 points. In the second half, the Redskins held Constantine's potent Wing-T offense to one touchdown and forced two turnovers that killed long drives.

"We knew we had to come out as a whole team and be ready to tackle anyone who looked like they had the ball," Clinton senior linebacker Foster Griffin said. "This is a really sweet feeling."

The game got off to a frenetic pace. On the first offensive play, Sexton took a pass from Baker and burned the Constantine defense for a 74-yard touchdown. The Falcons answered just two plays into their first drive as Taylor Reiff broke loose for a 59-yard touchdown run, making it 6-6.

The Redskins put together a seven-play drive midway through the quarter, and Baker connected with Sexton for a 35-yard touchdown pass, but Constantine responded again. Runs by Reiff, Spencer Tefft and Andres Montoya moved the ball into Clinton territory, then Montoya bolted 35 yards for a touchdown.

A 21-yard run by Baker and a 14-yard run by Collin Poore got Clinton inside the red zone on the ensuing drive. Two plays later, Baker and Sexton hooked up again, this time from 15 yards out, giving the Redskins a 20-13 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Constantine drove to midfield on the ensuing possession, but Matt Hasbrouck's pass to Reiff went for a seven-yard loss on third down and forced the first punt of the game. Sexton made another big play, returning the punt 79 yards for a touchdown, giving the Redskins a 27-13 lead midway through the second quarter.

"The game actually panned out like we thought it would," McNitt said. "It took us about a quarter an a half to adapt to their offense, and you can't simulate it in practice. But we were getting big plays, and that punt return was huge."

Page 2 of 2 - Reiff lost a fumble on the next drive, which Clinton recovered at midfield. Three plays later, Sexton caught Baker's pass on a slant and motored 44 yards for a touchdown.

The Falcons put together a scoring drive to close out the half. Hasbrouck hit Reiff for 18 yards, then kept the ball for six yards to the Clinton 1-yard line before leaving with a broken clavicle. On the next play, Reiff scored on a 1-yard plunge, making it 34-21 entering halftime.

"It was our big plays against their grinding style, and luckily for us we were hitting the big plays," McNitt said.

Constantine opened the third quarter with a 15-play drive that took more than eight minutes off the clock. On the Clinton 12-yard line on fourth down, Griffin intercepted backup quarterback Nick West at the goal line. Two plays later, Collin Poore sprinted for a 75-yard touchdown run, giving Clinton a 41-21 lead.

The teams exchanged touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Montoya scored on a 1-yard run midway through the frame, then Baker answered with a 31-yard touchdown run for Clinton with 5:41 remaining.

"Constantine is a class program, and it was a hard-hitting game played well between the lines," McNitt said.

Sexton finished with four catches for 168 yards to go with his punt return, while Baker was 8-of-11 passing for 199 yards and added 69 yards on five carries. Collin Poore finished with 161 yards on 12 carries for Clinton.

"Except for Whitmore Lake we have played new teams, which is what the playoffs are about," McNitt said. "We're playing a great football team again next week, and we look forward to that challenge."